BG Napoleon in Russia questions

[cillmhor]

Just a couple of more questions, as I continue to get a feel for the game.

Is it my imagination or does infantry in column appear to get very good fire results despite there supposed drastic decrease in fire mentioned elsewher?

Only it appears to me in a game against the Russian AI that there column troops are getting some pretty good fire results against infantry in line.

Where as my own column infantry don't seem to be getting the same kind of results, nor my infantry in line for that matter. And I get the impression that column infantry in NIR have more effective fire than infantry in column in BG Waterloo?

I take it that infantry in line should take less casualties than infantry in column from infantry fire?

Why does the AI in NIR appear to leave all of its infantry in column, or square. I've yet to see the Russian AI change troops to line, under fire or under threat? This is on turn 8 of Borodino. Although given the effetiveness of column fire, perhaps this isn't such a bad idea!

And then, again maybe my imagination, it seems very difficult to get the Russian units to rout, I have inflicted some significant casualties, and yet no sign of a rout anywhere.

And finally, is Borodino a good, fairly balanced PBEM candidate?

Cheers

Alasdair

[Andy Moss]

Russian colums were rather different to French ones in reality, and had more men in each row, thus the increased fire capacity for Russian colums.

THe Russians have a Golden Morale, increasing their morale for rout calculations by +4 meaning yes, they very rarely rout.

The AI does dumb things. Ignore it.

Borodino is tough for the French, and can be won with experience and some luck.

[simovitch]

Fire from Russians in Column is 50%, Fire from French Column in Russia is reduced 66% and fire from French Column at Waterloo is reduced 80%.

[simovitch]

The AI will change to line when it approaches the fighting if it doesn't get disrupted first, the problem is is that it usually does get disrupted. This will cause it to stay in column or square as well because it can't change formation. And if it's in woods or town it can't undisrupt.

[cillmhor]

Thanks for the responses, it just appears the AI leaves infantry in column way too close to the action, which as you say almost always leads it to become disrupted. But I am definitely seeing Russian columns moving into firing range which are undisrupted.

Wow, 50% Russian column fire, I'm glad they're not in line!

[1NWCG]

Borodino can be a great one for PBEM. It has an array of forces and has a pretty good size map. Also Prelude To Waterloo is great too for its large map.  Expect Borodino to be a bloodbath....both armies have a lot of everything and you'll be throwing wave after wave at the objectives. Fun! [:)]